Morning Catch-Up: Latest Updates in Brief

January 5, 2026

1. Secretary of War says US intervention in Venezuela “exact opposite” to Iraq invasion

   US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has defended Washington’s military intervention in Venezuela, during which the US captured the country’s president and deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, asserting that the operation was the “exact opposite” of the 2003 Iraq invasion and would not result in prolonged conflict or loss of American.

2. Former Nepal PM Oli hands over statement to probe committee, records statement at NHRC on Gen-Z Protest

   Former Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has handed over a written statement to the high-level investigation committee formed to probe the atrocities during the Gen-Z protest. Oli who had been adamant about not appearing in front of the probe committee, handed over the statement to the committee after he was served with

3. T20 World Cup 2026: Bangladesh refuses to play matches in India

   Bangladesh has decided not to play its T20 World Cup 2026 matches in India. This decision comes just a day after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) requested the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL 2026 team

4. Prevent US adversaries from controlling oil; secure national interest: State Secy defends strike on Venezuela

   US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday defended Washington’s military action in Venezuela, during which it captured the country’s president and deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, saying that it was aimed at protecting US national interests in the Western Hemisphere and preventing adversaries from controlling the South American country’s oil resources

5. Indian woman found stabbed in US, ex-boyfriend fled to India

   A young Indian healthcare professional was found stabbed to death inside an apartment in the US state of Maryland, police said, as authorities launched an international search for her ex-boyfriend, who left the country for India hours after reporting her missing.

6. Bengaluru: Tension in city’s JJ Nagar amid stone-pelting during Om Shakti festival

   Tension prevailed in Bengaluru’s communally sensitive JJ Nagar area on Sunday after stones were allegedly thrown at a Hindu religious ritual being conducted as part of an Om Shakti pooja ceremony. Police have stepped up security in the locality following the incident.

7. Punjab: SIT arrests two persons in 328 missing ‘saroops’ case

   Two persons have been arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Punjab Police in connection with the 328 missing Saroops case, officials said.

   The SIT conducted searches at 14 locations and seized mobile devices, tablets, computers, storage devices, and incriminating financial records and documents.

    

8. 20,000 pregnant women visiting AAP clinics every month, says Punjab minister

   The Punjab government has decentralised maternal healthcare, with Aam Aadmi Clinics emerging as the new lifeline for expectant mothers, government officials said on Sunday. Within four months of launching a specialised, protocol-driven pregnancy care model, the state has recorded a massive surge in service utilisation, with nearly 20,000 pregnant women.

9. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Granted 40-Day Parole; Will Stay at Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa

   Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who is serving life imprisonment in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail in the cases of sexual harassment of sadhvis and murder of a journalist, has once again got 40 days parole.

   During this time, Ram Rahim will remain at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa. He is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for raping two fellow sadhvis.

10. Why Zomato sacks close to 5,000 gig workers a month? CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals

    Zomato sacks close to 5,000 gig workers a month due to cases involving fraud, while another 150,000 to 200,000 workers leave the fast food delivery platform on their own, its parent firm Eternal’s founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal said.

    In a video podcast with YouTuber Raj Shamani, Goyal said that those who choose to leave the platform consider gig work as a temporary job.